Geometric reformatting of shared relational maps during flexible decisions.

Authors

Mingjuan Guan, Jin Liu, Yanfei Zhou, Xiaoxiao Wang, Lizhuang Yang, Hai Li

Published in

NeuroImage. Pages 122277. Oct 03, 2026. Epub Oct 03, 2026.

Abstract

Adaptive behavior requires balancing generalization from past experience with the flexible selection of goal-relevant information. Cognitive maps provide a structured basis for this balance, yet how a stable relational map supports task-appropriate decision coordinates remains unclear. Combining fMRI with CNN-LSTM modeling, we show that a shared two-dimensional social map coexists with localized, goal-dependent geometric reformatting. A hippocampal-orbitofrontal/medial prefrontal network preserves a reusable 2D relational structure, whereas a frontoparietal control network expresses goal-aligned 1D decision projections. Crucially, these readouts show systematic geometric shaping along distinct functional axes. Representational stretching along a "congruent axis" was associated with redundant structure across dimensions, whereas goal-directed warping along a "task-relevant axis" selectively emphasized currently relevant information during decision conflict. This localized geometric reformatting was accompanied by dynamic hippocampus-insula-precuneus interactions. As similar patterns emerged spontaneously in recurrent networks, our findings support geometric reformatting as a complementary readout strategy through which a stable multidimensional relational map can be flexibly adapted to current decision demands.

PMID:
42829014
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 04 Oct 2026.

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